Lobster and lobbying: Candidates visit Marblehead Dems

Thursday

Aug 28, 2014 at 6:45 AMAug 28, 2014 at 6:46 AM

By William J. Dowdwdowd@wickedlocal.com

With the Sept. 9 state primary a little more than three weeks away, the atmosphere had bit more urgency than usual as several candidates stopped by the Marblehead Democratic Town Committee’s annual summertime picnic Monday evening, Aug. 18, inside the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2005.Town Committee Chairman Marilyn Segal said the annual tradition is a moment to galvanize local Democrats and hear from candidates seeking members' votes.Before candidates spoke, the committee's membership paused as Segal and member Mark Brings offered tributes in memory of former state representative Douglas Petersen and longtime Town Committee member Phil Sweeney, who had died July 1 and May 22, respectively.State Treasurer Steve Grossman, one of three Democrats seeking the party’s nomination for governor, then used his allotted two minutes to talk about college access and affordability and the importance of supporting arts and arts education in the state."I promise to double the funding in Massachusetts Cultural Council," he said, adding that pouring money into the arts stimulates the economy. “So many people come here, move here, live here and stay here because of the arts.He said that, because universal pre-kindergarten doesn't exist in the state, 25,000 children in Massachusetts don't have a place to go during the day.“We need to bring universal pre-k into all our communities," Grossman said, "so they can learn to read and then go off to college."Grossman's comments on higher education overlapped those made by Congressman John Tierney, who touted legislation he worked on to lower the interest rates on federally subsidized student loans from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent.Tierney, an 18-year incumbent whom the committee has endorsed, is facing four Democratic challengers in the upcoming primary."We got a campaign here, and we are going to continue to be positive," Tierney said.He went on to say his campaign would remind people of his legislative work in Washington, D.C., and that he would continue working on behalf of 6th District constituents.“Down the line, we've been working hard,” he said, adding that Democrats need to control the House and defeat what he characterized as Republican obstructionists to expedite a more progressive agenda.Sixth District candidate Seth Moulton's mom, Lynn, spoke on her son's behalf, saying, "When he decides he is going to do something, he does it well."Moulton, an Iraq War veteran who entered the Marines just before Sept. 11, is the biggest threat to Tierney among the Democratic challengers, according to polls.Moulton characterized her son as a hard worker who possess integrity, maintains an open mind and makes sound choices."Seth makes carefully considered good decisions that often involve asking for lots of advice," she said. "He'll listen and consider what others have to say. We need more of that in Congress."Going back to the race for governor, Ben Berwick, the son of candidate Donald Berwick, spoke on his father’s behalf, saying he is “running a campaign on his bold and principled values, integrity and honesty.”State auditor Suzanne Bump, who is running for reelection absent a Democratic challenger, encouraged everyone to come out to vote not only on Sept. 9 but also on Nov. 4 for the general election.She said she ran for state auditor three and a half years ago with “a plan on how the office was going to be your agent for accountability in state governance.”Since being elected state auditor, Bump said her office has identified $400 million worth of accounting variances, misspending, inefficiency and "a small amount of fraud.""I ran to make government work better," she proclaimed, adding that she would like to continue to do so.Candidates for state treasurer Thomas Conroy and Deborah Goldberg offered remarks, as did Michael Lake for lieutenant governor. Two supporters of Attorney General Martha Coakley for governor and Maura Healey for attorney general stood up and offered brief remarks.State Rep. Lori Ehrlich, who has no challenger, spoke before state Sen. Benjamin Downing of Pittsfield closed out the meeting with a pep talk, asking everyone to get out the vote and to help Democrats on election day.Ehrlich thanked everyone for their support in what has been a successful law-making year for her and acknowledged the room felt different without Sweeney’s presence."Phil was the backbone of all our [Democratic] activities in Marblehead," Ehrlich said.Lead cook during the event, Sweeney’s son, Phil, received much praise for the food served, which included boiled lobster, grilled chicken, corn on the cob, cole slaw, potato salad and, for dessert, a patriotic shortcake topped with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream.Proceeds from the picnic's ticket sales benefited the committee's Edwin L. Goldberg Scholarship, awarded to a graduating Marblehead High School senior who is interested in studying government in college.